Tag Archives: Crochet Liberation Front

“You say you want a revolution…well ya know…we all wanna change the world…” Recognize the song? I bet you’d be shocked to know it’s one of my favorite songs ever, and has been since I was about six years old. Have you ever listened to the words carefully?

It’s a protest against the call for violent and I would also say, negative, movements for change. It’s showing how silly we can be sometimes as humans as we look at things in terms of black and white.

What the HECK does that have to do with the CLF?

Well my friends, much like my son’s beloved favorite pokemon, I believe in Evolution vs Revolution any day. This is a heads up (if you didn’t notice the blog looks slightly different) that the CLF is getting ready to evolve AGAIN…isn’t that exciting? Nothing too rash at first mind you, but I think it’s time we move upwards a bit…

We have impacted so many changes, many of them small details, and important details. From seeing more and more inclusive crafting language, to seeing the changes in patterns, and the push for more innovation showing results, the CLF has become a force for positive, and proactive change. We should all be proud of ourselves!

I am proud of us 😀 Now that being said, I am working with someone to help us grow, and come February or March I am just gonna say this…you’d better crochet some strings onto your hats, because baby I don’t think we’ll be able to hold on to ’em!!

Like this:

As Fearless Leader of the CLF I hear by decree the very first Pre-Winter Crochet Week…December 5-11, 2010

During this week, we shall do the following:

Seek out the best of the best in crochet to highlight here on the board as well as on our blogs! Let’s show the world how wonderful we really are!!

Have an entire week where we discuss all crochet in a positive light! We can leave What Not to Crochet to that blog and ignore it for a while.

Have an entire week free of the compare and contrast discussions with those who use sticks. We need compare our craft to no other.

Support each other in our crochet crunch time for those of us who wait to the last minute to finish holiday crafting…(like me)…

Actively seek out cool crochet stories in the news, ignoring what the reporters get wrong,because seriously they really don’t care as much as we do, if it’s really bad we can revise the thought..or wait till the next week…

The GOAL? To empower ourselves, to showcase why we LOVE our craft, to show the public why we love our craft and to support each other in our crafting efforts..On this day, December 1, 2010 I, Fearless Leader in a Captain Picard like manner (only with way more hair) here by declare to the members of the CLF… MAKE IT SO!

Need some quick Holiday crochet ideas! I love fingerless gloves just for that purpose, quick gifts that you can whip up in a jiff! Now you can make more complicated patterns with complicated stitches too, and those are fabulous, but if you’re checking over the gift list and find you’re missing someone, these are a great, fashionable, and popular item! Kids and adults love them! So here are a few I have found in the CLF projects on Ravelry.com. Not all of them have patterns, but we have several GORGEOUS patterns in the CLF First Ever Book, which is only $9.99 as a pdf download off our website 😀 Or you can hunt for patterns on Ravelry! Tons of them there 😀 Enjoy the inspiration! Click on the photos to view the project page on Ravelry.com!!

So many kinds of fingerless gloves…HECK just go check out the wonderful projects listed JUST in the CLF HQ group on Ravelry.com! It’s amazing!!!

As fun as it is to make gifts for others, it’s also fun to recieve gifts! Now, for some reason when asked what we want for a gift we don’t say yarn, or hooks, or books. Maybe some of us remember to do so, but others like me forget to ask for specifics that relate to our beloved craft.

Now, my excuse is, I buy it anyway. But, I can tell you I wouldn’t say no to a gift certificate for my LYS, or some lovely wood hooks, or even some specific books that I will list out here (hint hint honey…).

Now you can request yarn, and if you have folks in your life that know what materials and colors you like then WHOO HOO…But I’ve heard a lot of stories by people who say that they’ve been gifted yarn that wasn’t to their taste and they hate to waste it or have to give it away. Yarn and hooks are materials and tools, and trust me just like when I buy things for my wood working husband, I try to make sure that the tools/materials are the right thing. He doesn’t need another Dremmel, know how I know? I bought him one when we first got together and it matches the other two he possessed just perfectly…Now I joke lovingly about getting him another Dremmel, but no I really ask what tool he wants needs in our budget and life’s good. Not like he hated the Dremmel, it wasn’t what he needed.

So here’s some fun crochet gift ideas for the crocheter in your life (and links to go with them!) this list is by no means complete…I can say I spent several hours composing the blog post and searching through websites and links etc…but if there are gift ideas or suggestions you have to offer please let me know!!

Gift Certificates to LYS (local yarn stores) or Michaels/Joannes/Hobby Lobby/AC Moore (what ever you have around in your area). Many online vendors have gift certificates too!

Stitch Diva has great crochet patterns and supplies! A gift certificate would not go unused from here!

Hook Sets: Interchangable hook sets are very popular, Tunisian Hooks are hard to find and popular, wonderful wood hook sets are also welcome. Good tools are always great 😀

Lacis is an amazing textile arts store in Berkley, CA with a phenominal catalog with Free Shipping on orders!! Go check it out and make up your wish list! Every kind of hook you can think of can be had there!

Laurel Hill Hooks are fabulous wood hooks, beautifully crafted and smmmmmooooooth to work with, my personal favorites. I have a D tunisian hook in the Nam Oc wood and it is so nice to work with! It’s unusual to find the smaller sized tunisian hooks any where, and these are a great price for fabulous quality!

For larger sized Tunisian Hooks you can’t go wrong with Jenkins…One of my very favorite hooks in the world is my Jenkins S cabled hook…I love this hook, I have whipped out more stash busting projects and fashion crisises have been averted because of this hook…Did I say I love my S hook…(Pictured above)

Books! Do I have a list…In fact I gave away my copy of Edie Eckman’s Beyond the Square book and need a new copy (hint hint honey)… Here’s a list of some of the good offerings I’ve seen out there, or have copies of that will NOT leave my hot little hands…

Another Edie Eckman Book: Around the Corner Crochet Borders (Oooh I want this one :D), Edie takes you through turning the corner perfectly every time! 150 colorful, creative crocheted borders!

Complete Photo Guide To Crochet by Margaret Hubert! A must have for any library, beautifully written and photographed. Margaret is a master of the art of crochet, even if you are not a beginner this is a must have for your library! If you are a beginner you need to get this book, Margaret explains crochet both visually, and in easy to understand instructions!

Doris Chan gave us a wonderful offering this year in her book, Crochet Lace Innovations this book covers techniques we have been begging for as only Doris Chan can offer…That means brilliant instructions, designs and charts in broomstick and hair pin lace, as well as tunisian …gorgeous! One of my favorite books!

Dora Ohrenstein helps us play with our yarn in Creating Crocheted Fabric! Learn more about yarns, textures, and stitching in her amazing creative symphonic crochet master piece!

We’ve had suggestions of giving Betty Hechtman’s mystery series which starts with Hooked on Murder. She was the 2009 Flamie Award Winner for Fiction.

Ooooh well there are pretty stitch markers…Please remember we can’t use the same kind as knitters, we use clasps or markers that can open…here are a few great deals and fun sets from sellers on Etsy. These beautiful markers and others come to you from CLF Member AbbyNormal owner of In Stitches Emporium on Etsy.

I thought these Reindeer Stitch Markers were too cute, perfect stocking stuffers! These come to you from Etsian Deelicious Discordia

More marker sets yet…

These Drink, Hook, Hook markers made me chuckle thinking of the last night of the retreat! I don’t know if this person is a CLF member or not, but if not they should be! Hook Raised, CLF Salute! You can find these from Paper and Yarn on Etsy.

Ok…not into stitch markers…Don’t need no STEENKIN’ MARKERS…what about shawl pins? My mother in law is the Queen of Gifting, I thought I was good until I met her…She doesn’t craft but she pays attention to what I do and make and one year for Christmas she bought me a beautifully hand crafted bronze shawl pin! I love that pin! She bought hers from a local artists/crafters coop in Port Townsend, WA. But not everyone has access to such fine artisan work…in that case check out these great sellers…

I thought this twisted copper shawl pin was just too pretty and very reasonably priced, this is brought to you by Ruby Vegas on Etsy.

Another pretty I found…gosh my list is getting longer…

A copper beaded shawl pin from Bebes Baubles on Etsy. I thought this was very simple and elegant.

Today I was so excited to get a message from a good friend on Facebook, telling me they enjoyed the story run by the Everett Herald (Everett, WA) about the CLF retreat!http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20101012/LIVING/710129999/1027 .Another good friend had contacted a reporter and told them they HAD to run the story because we’re too goofy upon which not to report!

So, I ran up to the store and bought me a copy of the Herald, and right after the story on the bedbug issue facing America, I found our retreat story…And I was reminded of something…We ARE dedicated to global domination of the hook!

Here I’ve been so dang busy getting ready for the retreat, and before that sitting in my little puddle of pity party that I forgot our campaign to take over the world! Egads, where was my head at! Of course we’re aiming to take over the world with our crochet goodness! Can you imagine if bombs were just made out of yarn? And if all of our cookies were crocheted? (Well the short fibers can get stuck in your teeth, so I say we stick to the real deal with it comes to cookies.)

But seriously, the aim of our group is to make the world a little lighter and brighter, to empower ourselves and each other with our creative spirit! Using our crochet as the media to propel the world into a more mature discourse. How do you do that with a joke? Easy.

We don’t need anyone to think we’re valuable or real, or with it or hip or happening. We need to know that we are valuable, real, hip, happening and with it! We need to understand that what other people say about our craft is hooey and we can show it’s hooey, but we don’t have to. We don’t have to prove a darn thing to anyone.

We are liberating ourselves from the ignorant confines of those who have not studied or lived and breathed the hooks! We are liberating ourselves from outdated stereotypes, including that women’s work is inferior.

Oh sure the captains of industry and CEOs get all the glory (and take everyone’s money), but we take nothing…we give. We make gifts and create things for others, we make things for ourselves, but do we hurt anyone else in the process? Not unless we stab them with a hook, and we know that is only by accident, right? ummm…right? (Ok CLF clause 256b states firmly that all crochet hook stabbings must be accidental, any purposeful stabbings will cause the stabber to be immediately removed from the group.)

So, raise your hooks in solidarity…cause babies we got world dominating to do!

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It’s fall, we need inspiration. If you’re like me and haven’t really started your holiday crafting, and if you aren’t like me please don’t gloat, I thought I’d start awarding some simple and yet elegant projects that will WOW your giftees!

This gorgeous shawl was made by CLF member Espins it’s from the book “Crochet Lace: An illustrative guide to making crochet fabric” by Mary Konoir. The pattern is called Fan and Shell Shawl. I am so in love with this circular shawl, it’s beautiful and let’s talk about that drape, shall we? Gorgeously constructed, beautiful pattern!

I have no choice but to award the Set My Picot Free award to Espins for OUSTANDING and ELEGANT crochet! Wonderful work! May I gush further? I would so wear that any day! I’m inspired!

Surely you’ve heard of a wine tasting? Various wines are on display and you get to taste them, cleanse your pallette and move on to the next. Well, a yarn tasting is not that different, only it doesn’t involve wine, spitting or crackers.

At the retreat our opening night will feature a yarn tasting. In the spirit of fun yarns of various fibers, weights and textures will be on display, with various wooden hooks to use to test drive the yarn. You can try out your favorite stitches, or decorative stitches as you move about the room playing with hooks and yarns.

We’ll be using Laurell Hill hooks, because those are some of my absolute favorites, plus I just adore those guys! There company model is open, intelligent and sensitive to the needs of their consumers and the producers of their products. They are a local NW company based out of Eugene, Oregon. I love how they market their products at shows, having the hooks available to test drive with yarn! Rick gave me a killer deal on the hooks, and I can pass that on to the retreat goers after the activities that will require hooks! And someone may get very lucky and win one of these fabulous hooks!

I can’t wait to use my nice serving platters to display the yarn! It’s going to be too much fun!